Eminence Hill

The movie revolves around a gang of criminals and the bounty hunters who are tracking them, meeting in the middle of a bunch of religious fanatics in 1887 Arizona. I guess the biggest problem I have is with the Royce character being talked about as such a threat by everyone, but when it comes down to brass tacks, he is outwitted by a couple of Apache thieves and then a community of religious nuts. All of this leads to the final conflict, which is a bloody affair, fun to watch. The biggest problem is that I'm not sure who I am supposed to be rooting for here... and that's never a good in a movie.

From this day forward when I'm talking I will be confabulating.....that being said this movie held my attention for an hour and a half so it's a winner in my book.

1887. Notorious outlaw Royce (a memorably nasty turn by Clint James) and his nefarious gang kill a man and his wife as well as take the couple's daughter hostage. The evil bunch wind up in the remote small community of Eminence Hill, where the righteous locals give them a less than warm welcome. Director/co-writer Robert Conway relates the enjoyable and engrossing story at a constant pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout, makes nice use of the desolate desert landscape, smartly explores the underlying themes of sin and redemption, delivers some jolting moments of brutal violence, and tosses in some tasty gratuitous female nudity for trashy good measure. The solid acting from the capable cast keeps this movie humming: Owen Conway as uptight, but lethal lawman Quincy, Dominique Swain as the ruthless Gretchen, Barry Corbin as hardcore religious fanatic Noah, Charlie Motley as grizzled tracker Carson, Anna Harr as innocent teen Ruth, Louie Iaccarino as skeevy brute Cyrus, and Brinke Stevens as sweet cook Wilhelmina. Lance Henriksen has a cool cameo as two-fisted bounty hunter Mason. A neat little flick.

I have a soft spot for Western movies - the genre itself is something I grew up with. Well that and Eastern Martial Arts movies. On the other hand I have been accused of being too nice when rating and reviewing movies. Which I think is mostly correct - with a few exceptions of course. But even if I don't like a movie, I try to see broader view and how it may be perceived. Having said all that, this movie right here has some really nice production values (considering the budget it probably was made with). Add to that a script that does challenge its actors to perform. And while I understand that some may feel differently and there are moments that might make you cringe, overall that works too. While it has a lot of dialog (too much I reckon for some), it also goes all the way when it comes to violence (blood) and nudity too. Something to consider one way or the other.

I had the chance to sit down and watch the 2019 Western movie "Eminence Hill" here in 2021, as I stumbled upon the movie by sheer, random chance. And seeing that the movie's cover had Lance Henriksen, Barry Corbin and Dominique Swain on the cover, I must say that I was interested in seeing it, especially because of Lance Henriksen. The storyline told in "Eminence Hill", as written by Robert Conway and Owen Conway, was actually adequate. It wasn't a movie that had me overly impressed. But I will say that I was adequately entertained by what the movie turned out to be. However, Lance Henriksen was in the movie for maybe a full minute or so. So having him on the movie's cover was just an awful way of luring people in to watching it with putting a familiar face there. Hey, it worked. I picked the movie up, didn't I? Director Robert Conway managed to make the movie feel like an old fashioned Western, so that was definitely something that worked in favor of the movie. While "Eminence Hill" was a watchable movie, it was hardly an outstanding or memorable Western. Nor is it a movie that warrants more than a single viewing. Though I think that for the true hardcore fans of the Western genre, then a movie such as "Eminence Hill" will bring proper entertainment. My rating of "Eminence Hill" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.

Short and sweet I was weaned on westerns at my daddy's knee during their heyday in the 50s 60s and 70s. In the past decade or so it's been very difficult to find anything that's halfway decent it seems that they're out of style well there are those that still appreciate them and search for them I found this and I was pleased the actors are well known they do their parts well and the plot is a good one I enjoyed it and that's what I expect from any movie

When a gang of outlaws attacks a small homestead in the middle of nowhere, killing a husband and wife before kidnapping their teenage daughter, the law has to come down hard on them. After the criminals get lost, they find their way to Eminence Hill, a town run by a group of deeply religious men and women. Welcome to, well, Eminence Hill, which is directed by Robert Conway, who has directed three different Krampus themed films: Krampus: The Reckoning, Krampus Unleashed and Krampus Origins. This movie is packed with stars. There's Barry Corbin, Harv from Critters 2 and perhaps better known to normal folks for being in No Country for Old Men. Dominique Swain, who was in the 1997 version of Lolita and Face/Off, as well as recently reviewed films like Blood Craft and The 6th Friend. Even Brinke Stevens shows up! Probably the name that will get most people looking for this movie is Lance Henriksen, whose resume contains such stand-outs as Hard Target, Aliens, Near Dark, Pumpkinhead, Stone Cold and many, many more. He's only in it for a few moments, but come on. If you're reading this site, you know all manner of films that relied on that one name to get the movie made and sold, an actor who barely shows up in the actual film.

Do you like westerns? I do and this one I enjoyed. It's starts with a gang of misfits who kill an innocent family and abduct their daughter. This seems like a simple set up for the movie but it goes it's own way. It blurred the lines between good and evil and although the story itself isnt without flaws it delivers this message. We see a couple familiar face among the acteurs and they're at home in this movie. Overall the acting is pretty decent and the sets look great. The costumes are ok but feel a little to clean at the beginning. Nevertheless the western feel is real enough. But this movie isn't without hiccups. I can understand why some people hate it and it feels cheap at some parts through the movie. The editing feels rushed and even early in the movie the cuts become repetitive. It feels unprofessional and combined with the special effects the movie feels like a B movie. The camera work isn't the best as some might notice and it looks like it's been shot on a lower-end camera. I think a big chunk of the money went into the cast and set and they had to cut cost in post. If the budget didn't allow it I think they made the good choice to focus on the story. If you can live with the somewhat sloppy camera and like westerns don't let the bad rating scare you and give it a try.

I have to wonder why James Gammon was not listed in the credits for this movie. He is a good, established actor, not an unknown in a minor role.

So hungry for a good western! In the mean time, I guess this will do. It had its moments and was overall entertaining. It meets the COVID19 stay at home watchable....